The good news: earth will survive, and mankind too. In the end, people acting together, are stronger that shown in films or news. You simple don't have to wait for politics, because they sell us out nearly every time.

I know that I'm going to get flamed on a couple of my answers here.... but I'll speak my mind anyways.

As far as oil being US$100 a barrel, that's simply a combination of greed on the part of all parties involved in the production of oil and the law of supply and demand. Countries like India and China are beginning to use oil at an ever increasing rate so of course the price is going to go up.

Polar icecaps melting? Again a combination of factors here. One factor is what we as mankind are doing to increase the level of green house gasses in our atmosphere. The other factor is quite simply that this is a
cycle that has happened before. Folks that study that stuff are just beginning to realize that.

Microsoft getting into Open Source? Yeah... they might if they can figure out a way to embrace and
extend it into extinction. Microsoft's priorties remain the same as any other big corporation. They live
to control market share and therefore build their profits.

A woman and a minority running for President of the USA? Come on folks, when as a society are we going to
stop looking at the outside of people and putting labels on them based on gender and ethnicity? I'll vote
for a politician based on what their character is and if I happen to agree with them on at least some of
their platform. I can never find a politician I can agree with 100% of the time so I'll accept what I can
get just as I can't always agree with my friends 100% of the time.

The other factor is quite simply that this is a cycle that has happened before. Folks that study that stuff are just beginning to realize that.

I find it amazing that you know this for a fact, when the people who actually study global warming are "just beginning to realize it". (which is another way of saying "it *might* be true, but they're not sure yet")

If you take a deeper look into the bible (yeah! that book!) you'll see that the first time, before flood was quite different.
So what we found now as a fact that before it might be warmer than now, is not a proof that global warming is a partern.

I know that I will be flamed at the stake for this comment, but still...If I am not an american, can I still invoke the First Amendment? ; )

My supervisor professor has said that when mobile phones become implanted in the brain, that will be the final frontier. I disagree so strongly as I've talked about such implanted mobile phones.
In my opinion, "A sure sign of the apocalypse" is stopping to talk about Aspects of the Syntax Theory, N. Chomsky.
Before that, we will be able to connect to the internet by brain nano implants.